1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus and an image recording method for recording an image on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is conventionally known an image recording apparatus configured to eject ink droplets to perform an image recording on a recording medium. The image recording apparatus of this type is generally called an ink-jet printer. The image recording of the ink-jet printer is performed by ejection of the ink from nozzles.
In the image recording on the recording medium by the ink-jet printer, recording operations and feeding operations are alternately performed. In the recording operation, a recording portion having nozzles formed therein ejects ink droplets from the nozzles onto a recording medium while moving in a direction intersecting a feeding direction of the recording medium. In the feeding operation, a feeding roller feeds or conveys the recording medium in the feeding direction by a predetermined amount (distance).
In order to perform the image recording in a short time, the ink-jet printer may be configured such that an acceleration of the feeding roller performed at a first stage of the feeding operation and a deceleration of the recording portion performed at a last stage of the recording operation are performed at the same time. This shortens a processing time of the image recording.
As the ink-jet printer of the above-described type, there is an ink-jet printer configured to generate a drive command of a sheet-feed motor upon a completion of a recording by a recording portion as a trigger, thereby driving a feeding roller to start a feeding operation of a recording sheet, for example.
In the image recording apparatus and the image recording method as described above, it is possible to shorten a length of time required for the image recording while eliminating an effect of a delay from the point when the drive command has been outputted to the second motor to the point when the feeding roller has actually started to be rotated.